This invention relates to a system for disposing of infectious hospital waste and, more particularly, to an aseptic system for disintegrating and disinfecting solid hospital waste including such items as hypodermic syringes, glassware, slides, and other such potentially hazardous materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,379 discloses a syringe disintegrator which preceded the system of this invention. The syringe disintegrator of this prior patent was noisy, unreliable, and unsuitable for use in the hospital areas where it was needed. Operation of the hammermill resulted in a potentially bacteria-laden exhaust from the apparatus, and the vibration of the cabinet on which the hammermill was mounted generated high levels of noise. Furthermore, the syringe disintegrator deposited the waste materials in a bag having a plurality of holes supported within a liquid container for disinfectant. The system required removal of the bag by hand and required periodic service of the system to both replace the disinfectant and to remove fragments of hospital waste from the disinfectant container.